well tank life and sizing

[yeldogt]

Thinking about my new house water supply (private well) ... the project is actually a gut remodel of a property we bought back in 06 and used initially for weekends. Not used since 2012 very much.

The well is working and I'm obviously going to have the water tested again -- but I have no reason to think that's a problem. It's a deep well and alway tested fine.

The previous owner indicated he replaced the deep pump and the pressure tank was not old looking. He had owned the place since 1990 -- my memory was the system was upgraded in the early 00's. We never had any issues .... but, it could be 20 years old.

How long do they last -- the bladder tanks? Other than matching the tank there - don't know how to size?

It would be cheaper for me to just replace the whole thing -- tank and pressure gauge all the piping ..vs calling someone out. The unit sits in my outbuilding/studio ...down in a purpose built "basement" for lack of a better word.

The piping is much older -- I would think from the mid 60's -- I have a new water line to the house. The well is only a few feat away from the building

 

[sberry]

Mine is 3o years. Look on Amtrol website and they can help with size, get one with ports a size bigger than the pipe in the system. Depend on size and models some could be the same but bigger ports is a bigger tank. Something else to consider is that you do not have to copy old designs, if you have a chance improve. Some of them really got added on over the years.

 

[kj_mustang]

https://www.watersystemscouncil.org/download/wellcare_information_sheets/basic_well_information_sheets/SIZING%20PRESSURE%20TANK_FINAL.pdf

Edit: also on the pressure side of things, if you are going to be running multiple filters for your water supply, I would not go with the lowest pressure switch as the filters will affect the flow rate.

 

[58Yeoman]

I replaced my smaller pressure tank with a larger one, as the pump should have to run less on/off. After my well pump was replaced, we got a large amount of rust in the tank, and I didn't know how old it was, so I replaced it anyway with the larger unit. I also replaced the 30/50 switch with a 40/60 and am much happier with the better pressure.

 

[SteveCh]

My tank is 40 yr old. You can buy replacement bladders, though I've never needed to.

Prices for complete tanks are not bad, if you decide to just go that route and replace the whole thing. Simple technology, basically a metal tank with a bladder.

 

[Jackfre]

Make sure they use an oil filled gauge on the tank. Otherwise, over time you will not have any idea what is actually going on pressure wise in the system. Or you will when pressures fluctuate in the house. It has been a few decades but the Amtrol WX-252 was the "go to" tank for most residences.
My bladder tank is fiberglass which surprised me at first, but I've been here 10 yrs with no issues.

 

[tez929rr]

Pressure tank is 24 years old and fine.

 

[uratool]

I'm over a year in my new place....just had to replace the original pressure tank installed in 2002. Posted to let the OP know it's possible to lose one in 18 years. Did it myself and the box stores had everything on the shelf...took longer to get the new tank and parts than install the new one.

 

[larry4406]

My used home appears to have had its bladder tank lasted 31 years...
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7613239&postcount=24

 

[sberry]

How big is the well?

 

[yeldogt]

How big is the well?

Have no idea .... I know in my direct area the wells are deep as we have a large layer of limestone.

It's only the two of us -- and guests on the weekends The house will have two bathrooms and three bedrooms.

Wanted to flush it out. Turned the hose on -- ran for hours.

 

[sberry]

If I was gonna be owning it would be testing. How big is the pipe, , somewhere is should show pump size. What voltage does it run on?

 

[ezzzzzzz]

My home (160 year old farmhouse) has only one bathroom plus the kitchen and laundry room. There are 3 spigots located in the yard too. I replaced two vertical 20 gallon tanks with two horizontal 20 gallon tanks. One of the original tanks had a complete bladder failure and the other had a pin hole. Plumbing the new tanks together with a new 60psi switch made a huge difference in water pressure and quality. That rotting bladder made the water smell like sulfer. My well water is crystal clear with no calcium or iron issues whatsoever.

 

[BD1]

My bladder tank lasted 32 years.
I replaced it with another from Menard's.
When you hear the pump constantly cycling, the bladder ruptured.
I would not even consider getting a replacement bladder. Buy complete new tank with bladder.
I removed the bladder from old tank to make a log burner. It was a real pain.
Here's what I made.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kaymccampbell]

Mine seem to last about 30 years. They are cheap and easy to replace.

 

[juddspaintballs]

If you replace, go with the biggest bladder tank you can afford and fit in the space. Well-Xtrol is the brand my well guy recommends for longevity. A couple years ago, I replaced my 33 year old 26 gallon Well-Xtrol that was still in great shape with a new Well-Xtrol 86 gallon bladder tank. The pump runs longer, which lets more water flow through it to keep it cool, but it also doesn't run as often. The cycling on/off is what kills the pumps, not the run time. I, too, have a 40/60 pressure switch. You don't notice the pressure drop over the course of a big tank discharging and you also don't notice the pressure rise while it's refilling.


TL/DR: If you get a new tank, get a big one.

 

[yeldogt]

If I was gonna be owning it would be testing. How big is the pipe, , somewhere is should show pump size. What voltage does it run on?

The old line to the house was black ploy 1" ..... We took down that part of the house where the old line came in. Moved the poly line and put in a temp hydrant off the well for water when the place is being rebuilt.

I had a new 1" line placed all the way back to the tank/ control location. The bladder tank and controls are not in the house ... they are about 100' away in my studio building.

it's 220 v

 

[yeldogt]

I'm not having any problems .... it's just old. My guess is the tank is from when the pump was replaced ..... the Square D pressure switch is much older. The franklin pump control is also old looking. The older part of the building is from the 60's (I think). I have no idea how old the well is .....

The property dates to 1870. I hate working on old plumbing -- it's typically easier to rip it all out and start over.

I just installed a new septic tank and upgraded the lines ... the previous owner had done some work on the system in 92. All he said to me was "we replaced the pump a few years ago" -- when I bought the place in 2006

The water in the area is very clean ..... when I had it tested on purchase my local to me tester wanted me to bring them another sample .. it was so clean they did not believe it. Wells are very $$ right around me as they have to drill through a large layer of rock and limestone. When I looked into Geo -- they said forget it due to the drilling cost.

 

[tstaude]

same story here, mine started short cycling and I replaced the next day.

Mine was way undersized for five people and I went from a 2.5 gallon to a 20 gallon to hopefully save a little life on the pump.

If you have the space a larger tank would be ideal, I also went up one size on the fitting, pipes were 3/4" and the new one was 1".

 

[Bretny]

I replaced my well tank about 4yrs ago because one of the 3 legs that where sitting on the basement floor was rotted out. I got a plastic base one and put it up on concrete blocks.

I wouldnt replace a submersible well pump if it's not bad. It will cost about the same to have it pulled broken or working. My well is 50ft deep.

When I got home one day we didnt have water and tested the pump. Went to HD got a pump and dropped it down. My well is 50ft deep so pulling it 3x after work and making a trip to HD is a pretty easy job.

 

[yeldogt]

I replaced my well tank about 4yrs ago because one of the 3 legs that where sitting on the basement floor was rotted out. I got a plastic base one and put it up on concrete blocks.

I wouldnt replace a submersible well pump if it's not bad. It will cost about the same to have it pulled broken or working. My well is 50ft deep.

When I got home one day we didnt have water and tested the pump. Went to HD got a pump and dropped it down. My well is 50ft deep so pulling it 3x after work and making a trip to HD is a pretty easy job.

I'm not touching the pump ... we are going to run new electric as part of the project

 

[dcg9381]

I've gotten more than 12 years out of a pressure tank (indoors).
There's another option - A side-Kick Pressure Tank Kit (google it) - you can use a small pressure tank with it and get most of the benefit of not turning the main pump on and off frequently. I used a side-kick kit with a 10 gallon pressure tank for my residence and shop.

The other way we do it here is have the main tank pump up to a large external tank (1000-2000 gallons). The main pump is operated on a float on/off. A secondary pump is required (as is a stop-cycle or pressure tank) - but replacing a secondary pump at the surface is a lot easier than pulling one up from 500' down.

 

[Ign]

Dumb question: do you have to charge the pressure tank after installation? ie with air at the Schraeder valve in the top?

 

[sberry]

Read the instructions. I believe it's a pound or 2 less than the kick on, so it pushes almost all the water out. They come charged but should be adjusted. To get all the stroke it can with no lag.

 

[dcg9381]

Dumb question: do you have to charge the pressure tank after installation? ie with air at the Schraeder valve in the top?

Most come pre-charged, but as mentioned above, the pump cut in pressure and the air pressure in the pressure tank need to be setup to work together.

Yes, you use the schrader valve at the top.

 

[RoninB4]

Just replaced my pressure tank on a house built in 2002 that I bought in 2017. Your water content and a filtration system can make a big difference in longevity of the tank. There was no filtration from the well when I bought the house and I've got a lot of iron in my water. Unfiltered incoming water had left a lot of sludge in the tank and water heater over the years, enough to require using a wet-vac on the water heater sludge when I couldn't get a hot shower. Hadn't planned on replacing heater or pressure tank but pin hole(s) in tank bladder forced me replace both. I upended both outside just to check the contents and a lot of black, smelly sludge came out of both. Water heater would not drain through the spigot at the bottom either due to the amount of sediment. The sludge can prevent the heater elements from working and causes the heater tank to begin rotting from the inside out, causing a flooded basement when it rots through. It can also generate that rotten egg smell in your hot water.

I now have several screen filters in place with see-through housings before the big blue type filters that allow me to monitor what's coming in from the well.

Get a lab analysis of your water so you know what you're dealing with, oversize your pressure tank(s), and add filtration (screens and cartridges) according to your lab analysis. Yes it's extra expenses but it's cheaper than multiple appliance/plumbing replacements and repairs every few years. JMO.